Paper crimping device



April i7, 1934. Wl N- THQDE PAPER CRIMPING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec.,

April l 7, 1934.

W. N. THODE'.

PAPER CRIMPING DEVICE Filed Dec. 3l, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 if 4 Alu Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNIT-ED STATES PAPER CRIMPIN G DEVICE William N. Thode, Chicago, Ill., assignor to.V

Seiders-Mather Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application December 31, 1931, Serial No. 584,163

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in paper crimping device, and more particularly to machines for'fastening sheets of paper together by passing them between inter-meshing crimping wheels which act to impress a narrow line of crimping along one or more edges, thereby accomplishing in a more or less permanent manner what is usually accomplished by the use of metal fasteners, rivets, and the like, the fastening being what may be termed semi-permanent in that the sheets can be parted with but slight mutilation.

The object of the invention is to provide an improvedcrimping'device, sturdy and simple in its construction and suitable for general use in oilices for the uniting of sheets of written mat.- ter and correspondence together for filing purposes.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view in frontelevation of the device attached to the edge lof a table or desk;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device;

Figure 3 is a view or the device in vertical section as taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation; A l Y.

Figure 5 is an illustrated view of several sheets of paper crimped together; and

Figures 6 and 'I are 'enlarged detail views in elevation and section, respectively, of a fragment of the crimped sheets.

As shown herein, the device is designed for attachment to the edge of a table or desk and to be operated by a crank located outwardly beyond the edge and rotative about a horizontal axis. In common therefore with devices intended for table attachment, the machine has a cast metal frame consisting of a main portion 1 adapted to rest upon the .top of the table and form the base for the moving parts, a V-shaped yoke 2 extending downwardly from the outer edge of the main frame portion and thence curving irrwardly to extend beneath the top. and nally a clamping screw 3 mounted at the lower end of the yoke.

The main portion of the frame l consists generallv of a longitudinal web 1* having transverse webs 1b, 1h at each end which form the feet which rest upon the table surface. The frame also supports a horizontal feed plate 4 for the work to be crimped, the same being elongated .-in the direction-of the edge of the table and vto which the device is attached with the plate (Cl. 93--1) l,

above and below theplate are two crimping wheels 5 and 6 which mesh with each other through a slot 4a formed near one of the longitudinal edges of the plate and substantially in i v the plane of the surface of the plate. v

The longitudinal web 1 of the frame has an upstanding ange 7 against which one of the longitudinal edges of thefeed plate abuts, said flange being spaced a short 'distance outwardly,r from theplane of the two crimping wheels and along its top edge the flangeA has a lip projecting toward the plane of the wheels, thereby forming a laterally facing channel 'la for guiding the edges of the sheets of paper as they are fed along prolongation of the axis of the lower crimping wheel 6 is a cylindric journal bearing 8 for a shaft 9, on the inner end of which is mounted said lower crimping wheel. At the outer end or this shaft is a crank 1o which is turned by hand fordriving the lower crimping wheel.

rA bearing member 11 integral with the frame 1 supports the upper `and driven crimping wheel 5, said wheels having cut in their narrow and somewhat rounded peripheries, small fine teeth .12 which resemble milling rather `than gearteeth, although they are accurately cut so that they mesh perfectly with'each other even through one or more sheets of paper.` f

The bearing consists of two bearing members 11", 11b in alignment with each other and having a space between to accommodate the upper wheel 5, this space being bridged by a pair of V-shaped yokes llcintegral with the spaced bearing members. Extending axially of the bearing is a spindle 13 having a central journal bearing 13a on which the wheel 5 is journalled and a collar-like flange 13h formed a short distance inwardly from its end. The outlying bearing member 11*a is bored axially and at its outer end is a seat or socket for the iianged end of the spindle 13, the portion of the bore forwardly of said socket being of somewhat greater diameter than the adjacent portion of the spindle. The inner bearing member l1a also has an axial bore considerably larger than the spindle and is internally threaded to receive the threaded shank of a tension adjusting screw 14 having a relatively large disc 14 with a milled edge at its outer end. The shank 14b of the adjusting screw is tubular with a tapered bore 14c decreasing in diameter toward theA outer end where it assumes the diameter of the outerspindle extension 13el and forms a pilot bearing therefor.

The vadjustment required is that of shifting the upper or driven crimping wheel 5 toward or from the lower and driven crimping wheel 6, in order to vary the pressure exerted by the wheelsin crimping sheets of different thickness, or a greater or lesser number of sheets together. The amount of adjustment is comparatively small so that the actual displacement of the'spindle is quite limited though positive nevertheless, and is accomplished in the following manner: In forming the bearing socket for the flanged end of the spindle the same is bored slightly off center to the true axis of the bearing so that when the spindle is assembled without the adjusting screw in place, the spindle 13 is inclined slightly upwardly with respect to the true axis, which manifestly would raise the upper crimping wheel 5 with respect to the lower wheel but not enough to throw the teeth out of mesh. But on applying the adjusting screw 14 with its tapered bore, the outer end ofthe spindle is depressed as it is guided into the pilot bearing at the outer end of the tapered shank, thus depressing the wheel slightly as the spindle is sprung sufficiently to lower the journal bearing 13a on which the wheel rotates. Thus the kfarther in thel shank of the adjusting wheel is turned the closer together the wheels are brought and the greater the crimping pressure exerted on the sheets of paper.

Now to operate the machine, the sheets of paper S to be fastened-together are arranged so that the edges to be crimped coincide with each other and then feeding the sheets toward the wheels with one hand, the crank is turned with the other. In this operation the feed plate 4 supports the sheets in f'latwise position and the groove or channel 'la along the edge of the feed plate guides the edges of the sheets in a straight path and at a uniform distance of approximately 1/4 inch beyond the crimping wheels so that the line of crimping C (Figure 5) extends in a straight line across the margins of the overlapping sheets about the same distance inwardly from their coinciding edges. j

The crimping is manifestly the result of pressing the fine intermeshing teeth into the fibrous texture .of the paper with sufficient force to bring -about a close adhesion but without in any way appreciably rupturing the bersyalthough the crimping is usually so positive that at least one of the sheets will tear along the line of crimping .before theywill separate. In other words,

the crimping is not the equivalent of a perma-l nent fastening, as for instance by stapling, but is more in the nature of a semi-permanent fastening in that the sheets can be separated after they are crimped by ripping or pulling them apart, although it is not always possible to do so without some tearing along the line of crimping. As shown in -Figure 5, the line of crimping is quite narrow (approximately 1?; of an inch) and resembles somewhat a line of stitching but without the use of any agency other than the adhesion between the many minute interlocked fragments of the overlapping sheets.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of my invention,

I claim:

1. In a crimping device, the combination of a. frame, a pair of rotative crimping wheels, a fixed bearing on said frame for one of said wheels, and an adjustable bearing for the other of said wheels comprising a hollow bearing member having sections spaced axially apart to accommodate the last mentioned wheel therebetween, a spindle extending axially of said bearing member and supporting the wheel intermediate its ends, one end of said spindle being seated in a socket in one of the sections ofsaid bearing member and offset slightly from the true axis rof the bearing, and an axially adjustable member mounted in the other section of said bearing member and forming a seat for the other end of said spindle and operative to shift the said last mentioned wheel toward and from the first mentioned wheel.

2. In a crimping device, the combination of a frame, a pair of rotative crimping wheels journalled on said frame, one of said wheels being rotativeA about a fixed. axis and an adjustable bearing for the other wheel comprising an elongated hollow bearing member, a spindle extending axially of said bearing member and supporting said wheel intermediate its ends, one end of said spindle fitting into a socket at one end of said bearing member and offset from the true axis of the spindle, and an adjusting screw having a tapered internal bore providing a bearing for the other end of said spindle and having screw threaded engagement with the opposite end of said bearing member and adjustable axially of said spindle to shift the vsame toward and from said driving wheel.

WILLIAM N. rI'Homr. 

